Bright Lights and Holiday Hikes

Whatever the holiday season means to you, we’ve got you covered. Time to hike in the brisk and piney mountain air? Gotcha. Take a hayride and meet the Clauses? Why not? Ogle the amazingest holiday lights in the whole dang country? Read on, Prancer!

Week: 12.13.2018
Regions: Southern CA

Empire of Light

Hike Riverside's Two Trees Trail and Visit the Mission Inn's Festival of Lights

Riverside’s Mission Inn has one of the most stunning displays of holiday lights in the US, but first things first: To really get in the mood—and earn your holiday treats, calorically speaking—take a quick-escape hike on nearby Two Trees Trail.
Read the full story

Yosemite Discounted Winter Stay

Yosemite Discounted Winter Stay

1) Stay More, Save More Holiday season, weekend escape, a place to take your Valentine: Enjoy a winter getaway to Yosemite Valley Lodge, complete with spectacular views and delightfully good rates. Save up to 40% on the “Stay More, Save More” promotion. 2) Thunder Wonder The tall
Visit our sponsor Yosemite Valley Lodge

The Champion, My Friends!

Hike to Big Bear's Champion Lodgepole Pine and Visit Bear Valley Farms for the Holidays

If visiting one of the tallest Christmas trees in the world doesn’t put you in the holiday spirit, nothing will! We’re actually talking about Big Bear’s Champion Lodgepole Pine—a wild tree, not ornamented, but the festive feeling is still there. The 4.3-mile loop to reach it via
Read the full story

Arboretum Season

Holiday Escape to Fullerton Arboretum

All is not always calm this time of year, but peace reigns at Fullerton Arboretum, a quiet 26-acre oasis in the middle of urban Orange County. It’s on the campus of Cal State Fullerton, and with most of the campus closed for the holidays, this is the perfect time to take a stroll
Read the full story

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View

  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View

  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View

  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View